


A Solo Valentine

by blushmepink



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mutual Pining, Rey Needs A Hug, Soft Ben Solo, Valentine's Day Fluff, Virgin Rey (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:01:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22548220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blushmepink/pseuds/blushmepink
Summary: It was no secret that Rey Kanata has a major crush on her boss, in fact, the whole company seemed to know.  Now, if only she can hide it from the man himself.  Ben Solo was much too busy to notice the bumbling idiot who could never meet his eyes and had a continual blush whenever he was near...right?  Right?!(Based off Lynne Graham's The Boss's Valentine)***COMPLETED***
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren & Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I need to write a little fluff and smut after all the angst from my previous story. Please leave comments and kudos and let me know what you guys think! Thanks!

**Chapter One**

Rey Kanata had fallen head over heels in love with Ben Solo in her first week working at Skywalker-Solo Systems. It was at once the most wonderful - and stupidest - thing she’d ever done. As she wasn’t a complete idiot, Rey was all too aware that Ben was as out of her reach as the north star. After all, not only was he a hugely successful entrepreneur but he was also blessed with strikingly sleek, dark looks that  _ worked _ on his pale face. Of course, she wasn’t the only one who found him deeply attractive as evidenced by the never-ending string of gorgeous women in his life. But in an emergency Ben Solo could also be incredibly kind. On her first day at work, when she'd gotten her finger trapped in a door, Ben had taken her to the hospital himself. When he had fainted dead away at the sight of a needle, Rey had known he was the man for her.

For six whole months, she’d secretly pined for him. It was all so foolish as he was her boss and there was no way in hell he would ever return her feelings. Aside from just being a lowly marketing assistant, Rey was sorely lacking in the looks department especially when compared to the sophisticated women he dated. A sad little sigh escaped her.

“Valentine’s Day is coming up...how about sending him a love letter, Rey?” Rey’s work-wife, Rose Tico, quipped. She was looking rather sympathetically at the younger woman’s dejected expression. It was quite easy to read Rey, her emotions always on display so it was no secret at all that Rey had the hots for their boss from the very beginning. In fact, it was company knowledge - from the security guards to the high-level executives - it seemed everyone knew of her intense crush on Ben Solo. 

Rey sputtered, her mouthful of tea now covering the space between them. “What? Ah - what are you talking about?” 

Rose rolled her eyes, snorting inelegantly. “Oh, please, Rey. Everyone knows you’re hot for Ben. We’re all taking bets on when you’re going to make a move,”

Rey was silent, her face reddening as she busied her hands with cleaning the tabletop.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed, Rey.” Rose said gently, not wanting to worry her friend. 

“That’s fine for you to say...your crush likes you back,” Rey jeered playfully.

Rose’s smile was smug, her lashes fluttering in an exaggerated fashion. “I know...I still can’t believe it. Soon I’ll be Mrs. Tico-Hux,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rey grinned, genuinely happy for her engaged friend. “But what about me, Rose? Am I  _ that _ obvious?”

“Well - ah -” Rose opened her mouth, uncertain exactly how to proceed. It wasn’t that Rey was the butt of intrapersonal jokes but the normally competent young woman usually became clumsy, tongue-tied to the point of idiocy and enveloped in a continual hot blush around the boss. “No, of course not...just, you know, Rey, you should really try to work on a better poker face around him,”

Rey nodded, taking the advice to heart. It was true that Rey couldn’t hide anything...if she was sad, it showed on her face, if she was happy, it was there in her smile. In today’s cynical, dog-eat-dog world, some would consider it a weakness to have no emotional filter. Still, Rey disliked insincerity and dishonesty. Having grown up without parents it had been her grandmother, Maz, who had raised Rey. Sweet, loving Maz had nurtured Rey’s warm, openly friendly disposition.

Waving her goodbyes to Rose, Rey made her way back to her department, her expression one of wariness. The morning hadn’t been the best as Andy Snoke, the slick new head of marketing, had asked her if she had been born stupid or perhaps she'd got that way with effort. Having spilled coffee on his keyboard, Rey had cleaned it up without telling him and in the process somehow wiped his morning's work from his computer. Although she had made groveling apologies and had gotten IT to resolve the issue, Snoke had still put in a complaint about her to Human Resources and she had been issued with a formal warning. Her colleagues would have been surprised to learn that Rey, famed for her laid-back nature, was even angrier with herself than Snoke had been. If she hadn’t been so busy chatting, the coffee would never have been spilled. Time and time again, a lapse in concentration led to similar mistakes on her part.

It really was a miracle that she’d been able to graduate with an Associate’s degree given her proclivity to daydream. Now painfully conscious that she didn't have much in the way of academic qualifications and that she had been lucky to secure a position in a successful city business, Rey worked hard as a marketing assistant. She was willing, enthusiastic and popular with her colleagues, but employees who made foolish mistakes were frowned upon at Skywalker-Solo Systems. In addition, the warning she had received that day was her second in six months and if there was a third, she could be sacked. It didn’t matter that Maz had helped Rey secure this job through her connections with Leia Organa Solo, their current president. Ironically, it was not so much the fear of being fired that sent a chill down her taut spine, it was the terrifying knowledge that if she was fired she would never, ever set eyes on Ben Solo again.

Luckily, the rest of the day went by without any mishaps. At five-thirty, the end of her work-day, Rey headed towards the elevator, her steps slowing when she saw Ben chatting to several other men in the reception area. Her heartbeat quickened, her chest tightened, her mouth ran dry, symptoms that always assailed her when Ben Solo was in view or even within hearing. The dark, deep timbre of his voice sent a positive tingle down her backbone. Ben could voice the encyclopedia of medical anomalies and make them sound like poetry. 

She glanced up and stole a look at him. Bang...the full effect of Ben just exploded on her. She was entranced by the commanding angle of his dark head, the gloss of his black hair beneath the lights, the sheer height and breadth of him in a dark formal business suit that exuded classic designer tailoring. Yet when he moved, he was as fluid as a panther, and just as graceful. As he turned his head to address someone she caught his profile, strong and distinctive from his lean, sculpted cheekbones to the proud jut of his nose and the aggressive angle of his jaw-line. 

He made her ache. Just looking at Ben made her ache. She crashed not too quietly into a tall plant, the sound causing Ben to swing round and her eyes collided with his incredible eyes, dark as night below these harsh interior lights but the same shade as aged whiskey in daylight. His gaze narrowed, spiky black lashes curling down to zero in on her. Then, instead of looking away again as she expected, he stared almost as if he had never seen her before. 

It was as if time stopped dead for Rey. Her heart was pumping blood so hard, she was as out of breath as if she had been running. There was a singing sound in her eardrums and her whole body felt oddly light and full of leaping energy. She looked back at him, wide, hazel eyes steady for possibly the very first time, and sank in the glittering dark intensity of his appraisal. 

Someone stopped in front of her then, blocking her from Ben’s gaze and breaking that spell. She focused with dizzy uncertainty on the person in front of her. Frowning slightly, she found herself staring into Bazine Netal’s beautifully made-up face, absorbed the sneer etched on her self-satisfied features and almost recoiled, Rey’s golden skin reddening.

“You look like an idiot!” She murmured next to her ear. “And, seriously, what is this? The nineties? Way to get a dude to notice you, huh? Bumping into a fucking plant, of all things!”

Her face color in shaken embarrassment. “Sorry?”

Bazine snorted. “You don’t fool me with your innocent act, Rey. Trying to use stupid tricks to attract attention!”

Rey flinched from the pure disdain in the other woman’s eyes.

“Excuse me. I’m so..sorry,” Rey lowered her head and ducked away quickly.

Faint colour demarcating the hard slant of his cheekbones, Ben strode into the elevator, hit the button to close the doors and left all his companions behind without even thinking about it. Just for a moment under the lights, Rey Kanata’s hair had looked quite dazzling and had she always had such beautiful eyes? But he was not attracted to her; of course, he wasn't. 

Rey was an employee, he reminded himself with relief. Besides, she was not his type at all. She was about five feet seven, slim and brunette while he preferred tall blondes with curves for days. She was twenty-three and he liked women closer to his own age of thirty-five. She had such dreadful fashion sense that she stuck out like a colorful exotic bird among the suits at a meeting. She talked too much, knocked things over, messed up royally on the computer on a regular basis. While he was a technical whizz, a perfectionist, she was an accident that just kept on happening. So why the hell couldn’t he stop thinking that she was the prettiest thing he’d seen in a long time? 

Rey hurried into the marketing department the next morning and went to fetch Snoke’s coffee. She was in turmoil. Why had Ben stared at her that way? Or had it just been her imagination? She was so ridiculously obsessed with him that her mind had probably played tricks on her. Did he know that she loved him? Oh, God, was she so obvious?  And why had Bazine attacked her that way when she usually behaved as though Rey was beneath her lofty notice? Bazine Netal never deigned to speak to her before. She had few friends at Skywalker-Solo Systems and was pleasant to even fewer. Brainy she might be, but she had a nasty tongue and a habit of smirking at other people's misfortunes. But she also happened to be Ben’s PA and Rey wanted Ben to think highly of her so if she had be friendly to the woman, she would!

“No...No...NO!” Snoke urged Rey in loud dismay. “Just leave the coffee over there. I can’t afford another incident like last time!”

Although Rey smiled like a good sport at the tide of amusement that those pointed instructions roused, she was cut to the bone. Hadn’t she suffered enough yet for the episode of the spilled coffee? A lecture about safety measures with liquids from the HR manager had set the seal on her shame while she had also been reminded of her first formal warning, which had resulted from poor timekeeping in her very first month at Skywalker-Solo Systems. “One more strike and you’re out!” had been the message she’d received after the coffee incident and she really was determined not to make any further blunders.

“Earth to Rey…” Rose’s cute face appeared in front of Rey’s then.

“Oh, hey, Rose. Are we still on for lunch?” Grateful for the interruption, Rey glanced up with a smile from the unexciting graph she had been tinkering with on her monitor.

“Yes, of course. But that’s not why I’m here. Did you hear about the dinner party to celebrate the merger? Buffet, dancing, booze...all on the company’s dime,” Rose’s eyes sparkled.

“I heard...but…”

“Oh, come on, Rey. Have a little fun. Do you want to go shopping after work today? Maybe find a new outfit guaranteed to get someone’s attention, hm?” Rose eyed her friend’s ill-fitting blouse and trousers and frowned slightly. Rey needed more than a little help in the wardrobe department if she wanted Ben to notice her.

“Gee...I don’t know. Let me think about it, okay.” 

In the meantime, Snoke informed her that he wanted the graphs she had been working on for a meeting. Rey hurried into printing them, relieved that she had finished the last one in time.

“I’ll meet you at the new Thai place, later, okay?” Rey waved good-bye to Rose before turning anxious eyes on Snoke, her boss, as he treated the printed graphs to a cursory appraisal. Had she changed the coloring of the one she had first done in pink for her own amusement? Yes, she was sure she remembered doing so. Even so, she didn’t draw a breath until he had slotted them into a folder, her relief paramount. 

Never, ever again would she play around with the colors of the graphs, she swore as she went into the ladies’ room to freshen up at lunchtime. If it killed her, she was going to erase her every bad habit. She gave herself only the most fleeting look in the mirror. At least she had grown out of her teenage acne and her skin now looked great, an unblemished golden complexion that barely required cosmetics. But her mousy brown locks were a constant source of aggravation, the color boring and nondescript plus little tendrils seemed to always gather round her face ensured that her hair never looked as tidy as other women’s.

However, her hair was nicely thick so she kept her hair long and wore it in a three-bun style down the back of her head. Her lack of curves were the biggest challenge, she conceded ruefully. She wasn’t completely flat-chested - her B-cups were nicely shaped, and she had a nice enough ass, at least and her legs were long. But she nowhere near resembled the statuesque blondes with their double D’s, tiny waist and big butts. Giving no more thought to her lack of physical attributes, she hurried to meet Rose for lunch.

When she returned to her desk, the notification on the company’s instant messenger was flickering on her monitor and she opened it, hoping it was a cheering communication from a friend.

**< Pink graphs are inappropriate in a business environment.>**

Rey looked at the message in shock and then glanced around herself to see if anyone was looking at her, but nobody was. Who had seen her toying about with that graph before lunch? Who was messing with her? It was unsigned and the user was a six-digit number and, as such, anonymous.

**< Says who?> ** Rey typed back.

**< I like graphs in dark colors.>**

**< That’s boring.>** Rey told her correspondent, rolling her eyes.

**< Rational. Pink is a distraction.>**

**< Pink is warm and uplifting.>** She protested in reply.

**< Pink is irritating, cute, feminine...inappropriate.>** That awful word, inappropriate again. Her correspondent was a guy, she decided, and certainly not Snoke, who regarded IM as a time-wasting exercise and who would surely have gone into panic attacks the instant he saw a pink graph.

**< How did you see my graph?>**

**< Stick to the issue.>**

Rey grinned at that rejoinder. Definitely a guy.

**< One more warning and you could be out of work. Be sensible.>**

That next message came in fast on the previous one without having given her the chance to respond. Her grin fell off her lips at supersonic speed. 

**< How do you know that?>**

But this time, infuriatingly, there was no answer. Thinking about her mystery correspondent, Rey conceded that quite a few people would be aware of those warnings on her employment record. The very first time it had happened she had been so upset, she had talked about it herself and, after the coffee episode, Snoke had been so furious that he had announced his intent to complain about her in such ringing decibels that most of the department had heard him.

Intrigued by those messages, scanning her busy colleagues with intense curiosity, Rey sent several more to the anonymous user that afternoon but still received no further response. Then she began thinking about the party tomorrow evening and wondered what she would wear, since pink had become such a controversial issue.

“You don’t think this is too short…” Rey tugged nervously on the skirt of her blush pink fit-and-flare dress. The jersey dress was really very conservative with its high scooped neck and cap sleeves that showed off Rey’s toned arms but the skirt ended well above her knees. 

“You look spectacular, hon. If I had legs like yours, I’d never wear pants again,” Rose teased. She looked pretty herself in a red wrap dress that showed off her tiny waist and generous curves to perfection.

“Well, hello there, Rey, Rose, welcome,” Leia Organa Solo greeted them warmly, her blue eyes sparkling. 

“Hello, ma’am,” The younger women spoke in unison.

Leia laughed, one hand holding a champagne flute. “No need to be so formal, dears. Leia is fine. Please, have some food, enjoy yourselves.”

“She’s the best, huh?” Rey watched her idol leave to mingle with the other guests.

“She is,” Rose nodded in agreement before gasping when a pair of arms pulled her back into an embrace. 

“Hi, Rey,” Hux greeted Rey quickly before kissing his fiance soundly on her neck. “You look amazing, Rosebud,” 

Soon they were joined by Finn Stormer and his partner, Poe Dameron, as well as Gwen Phasma. Conversation came easily as not only did the friends work for the same company but they also saw each other outside of work as well. 

Rey’s attention didn’t stay on her friends for long as she automatically searched the room for a certain tall, dark male. Because he was almost always the tallest in the crowd, she easily found Ben standing beside his PA, Bazine and a beautiful blonde woman. She lifted the drink that Phasma had nudged into her fingers and sipped it to ease her tight throat, but she resisted the urge to ask the chatty blonde if she knew who Ben’s companion was. After all, what was the point? Did it make any difference who it was? And it was none of her business either. 

Indeed, she should not even be looking at Ben Solo, Rey told herself guiltily, because looking was only feeding her obsession. Having thought over Bazine’s sneering remarks earlier that week, Rey had finally faced the unhappy fact that the PA at least suspected that Rey paid too much attention to their main boss. That conclusion had unnerved her for Bazine’s reputation for making others the butt of her cruel sense of humour was well-known. So, she would have to be more cautious in the future, for behaving like a lovesick teenager over Ben could easily make her a laughing stock at work. In fact, she would be much better devoting her brain to figuring out the mystery identity of her IM buddy, who had gone to the trouble of trying to give her a warning word of advice, she reflected.

Returning to her table after making the rounds at the buffet, Rey sat down again.

Phasma, Finn and Poe were chatting about Ben’s date, who was evidently the daughter of the owner of Connix Industries, with whom they had just merged.

“What do you think of Kaydel?” A less welcome voice enquired.

Rey’s head swivelled, her startled gaze only then registering that Bazine Netal had joined their table during her absence. That question had been directed specifically at her and she was gripped by uneasiness.

“Why would I think anything of her?” She answered with a determined smile. “All of the boss’ girlfriends are gorgeous,”

“Now why did I get the idea that you mightn’t have noticed that?” Bazine rested her black probing eyes on Rey.

“They’d be kinda hard to miss,” Finn commented, eyes narrowed. He inched closer to Rey, protection mode kicking into high gear.

“If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out, Bazine!” Phasma also didn’t like Bazine’s line of thought, especially if it was aimed at sweet Rey.

Bazine shrugged, taking a sip of her wine before turning a smug smile at the group. “Kaydel Connix is a very accomplished young woman and I wouldn’t be surprised if the next party is their engagement party! But you didn’t hear it from me, of course.”

As if on cue, the group heard loud laughter and as one, they turned to see Ben with his handsome head flung back in mirth. Kaydel was in a fit of giggles herself, holding onto Ben’s arm as they both enjoyed a good laugh. It was obvious to everyone just how compatible the pair was. Both were attractive and successful and they belonged to wealthy families. They were a match made in heaven, it seemed. It really was inevitable that they’d find each other and marry.

Feeling as if she had just had her heart ripped out while she was still breathing, Rey nonetheless rose from her seat with as much dignity as she could muster, for she could not bear sitting there playing poor little victim for Bazine’s benefit any longer.

“You’re right, as always, Bazine,” She said flatly.

Rey walked away fast. Tears were stinging her eyes and blurring her vision, but she kept her head high and that was her final undoing. She didn’t see the small table laden with drinks in her path. She hit it with such force that the table tipped over with an enormous crash that seemed to turn every head in the room. For an instant, Rey hovered, staring in horror at the smashed glass and liquid everywhere, not to mention the startled dancers leaping back from the mess she had created. Then her control just snapped and she fled.

“Now,” Phasma said icily to Bazine, who was sniggering at Rey’s noisy exit. “While you’re wondering why we, as her friends, aren’t rushing after her to offer support, watch Ben and learn…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Upsetting Rey is not a career-enhancing move in Skywalker-Solo Systems. You see, if you weren’t such an unfriendly bitch, you’d know the real gossip in this building. You would already know that Ben has it bad for Rey, too!” Rose smirked as her friends nodded in agreement.

“You’re kidding? I don’t believe you!” Bazine’s face was pale now, the smugness completely gone.

“Oh, Ben might not know it yet,” Poe said, broad shoulders shrugging slightly. “But when someone like Ben, who likes everything done by the book, starts telling poor Snoke that pink graphs are fresh and creative, he’s got it bad.”

In companionable and expectant silence, the six men and women then focused pointedly on Ben, who had stridden forward the instant that Rey had sent the table flying. He swung round to speak to Kaydel Connix and not thirty seconds later left in the same direction as Rey. Witnessing that demonstration, Bazine turned the greenish color of grass and groaned out loud.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone...how are you guys enjoying the story? Only one more chapter to go and it will be pure smut and HEA. Kudos and comments keep me going!

**Chapter Two**

When Rey emerged from the function room, several women were entering the coatroom across the main reception area and she turned away in the opposite direction. Finding herself by the bank of elevators, she stabbed the call button with a frantic hand and gulped back a sob. They were all laughing at her expense, she was sure of it. Rey, the bumbling idiot from marketing, strikes again! Oh, god, she was such a fucking nitwit, sometimes! Ben, Kaydel, Bazine, Rey’s coworkers...Leia, they were no doubt laughing at her humiliating display just now. How could she face everyone come Monday? Wrapping her arms around her middle, she hugged herself tight. But it was no help, no comfort because all she could think about was what a fool she had made of herself.

“Come on, Rey,” Ben entered the elevator with her. He hit the button for the garage level before gathering Rey straight into a comforting embrace.

The sheer shock value of a pair of masculine arms closing around her when she had believed that she was alone provoked a startled cry from Rey. Then she looked up and focused on Ben and even more shock froze her from head to toe. Bronze-colored eyes set below lush black lashes were trained to hers, the pale contours of his handsome features taut with concern.

“It’s okay,” He soothed in his gorgeous deep voice.

“Is it?” Rey’s voice emerged in a breathless sob. What was happening should have felt unreal but, in actuality, being in the circle of Ben’s arms felt very _real_ and very _right_. Furthermore, it was something she had been dreaming of for so long that no power on earth could have sent her into retreat.

“Of course it is,” Ben asserted, not really knowing what he was talking about, then deciding it was safer to confine himself to silent comfort rather than risk reawakening her distress. Lifting a large hand, he curved it around the back of her head to urge her face into his shoulder.

Rey’s tension evaporated and she subsided against him, feeling completely boneless. The faint aroma of whatever aftershave he used assailed her and immediately became familiar to her. It was rather exotic and very distinctively male...very Ben Solo. She sucked in a steadying breath, her fingers resting lightly against his broad shoulder, yet she could still feel the flex of his powerful muscles beneath the expensive cloth of his jacket as he held her close. He could be so kind. How had she managed to forget how considerate he had been when she had hurt her finger and he had taken her to hospital? A little calmer, better able to think than she had been minutes earlier at the height of her anxiety, she saw how unlikely it was that Ben had been nastily indulging in a good laugh at her expense with his lady friend. He wasn’t like that.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ben led her towards his sleek, black Mercedes. He opened the door for her before sliding into the driver’s seat.

Rey became all too aware that the cozy contours simply emphasized his impact. He was so massive, so wonderfully masculine and vibrant. Why was it that every time she looked at Ben he seemed more gorgeous than ever? As she encountered the onslaught of his mesmeric dark golden eyes, her heartbeat thudded at the base of her throat.

“Don’t you have to get back to the party?” Rey frowned slightly, leaning back into the leather seat.

“No. I don’t usually stay until the bitter end. My presence tends to inhibit people...besides, I’m sure Leia and Luke are still there, performing their host duties.” His wry smile lent his striking features such an innately boyish charm that for several tense seconds, Rey simply couldn’t take her eyes from him.

“So,” Ben murmured in a casual note intended to put her at ease. “Where did you work before you came here?”

Rey sighed, looking out at the beautiful city skyline as they drove away from the building. “I was an art teacher for a while. I worked with both children and seniors.”

“Art?” Ben was initially surprised and then he remembered the pink graph. Suppressing a smile, he pictured her surrounded by kids and seniors alike. Rey just had a warm open aura about her that drew people to her. “How did you end up here?”

“Unfortunately, I became too attached to a lot of my students and when a few of the seniors...passed...I was devastated.” Rey admitted ruefully. “It became too much for me emotionally so I started looking for office work. You can't get attached to computers,”

Ben wanted to remark that maybe that decision was a wrong move on her part but he thought better of it when he registered that he could not imagine the marketing department without her. 

“The trouble is...the career change hasn’t worked out very well,” Rey commented rather gruffly.

Ben’s brows furrowed. “Everyone makes an occasional mistake - “

“I’ve managed to pick up two written warnings in six months.” Rey shrugged a slight shoulder, cursing her own impulsive tongue, her habit of being too candid for other people’s comfort. All she had done was bring her own failures to his notice.

Ben had to resist a strong but unprofessional urge to tell her that her head of department had been guilty of an overreaction when he’d made a complaint about her on the strength of an accident with a spilled drink. She had been unlucky. Andy Snoke was in his first week in the job, keen to make his mark and show his authority, but he had chosen the wrong event and the wrong person to target. In fact, Rey might not know it but that misjudged warning had even been discussed in the boardroom with varying degrees of levity and incredulity. Why just that morning, Luke had looked in mock horror at the puddle of water he had left on the table and had wondered out loud if HR were going to write him up as well.

“I never made mistakes teaching art,” Rey said quietly.

“But people would miss you if you weren’t here,” Colliding with glittering dark eyes, Rey felt dizzy.

Did he mean _he_ would miss her? For goodness’ sake, what was she thinking? What difference would it make to him if she went off in search of another job and moved on? He was just being kind...again.

Unaware of her conflicting thoughts, Ben spoke. “I’m hungry, how about you?”

Rey never said no to food. “Sure, do you have anything in mind?” She was glad for the change in subject.

“I could go for a burger, I think,” Ben drove in companionable silence towards his apartment complex.

Skywalker-Solo Towers was a luxury residential building boasting its own restaurant as well as several unique and high-end boutiques on the main floor. There was twenty-four hour security so no one got past the highly trained guards and a partition separated the grand foyer from the residential elevators. It was Rey’s first time and she could only look on in awed curiosity as Ben picked up a take-out bag from the restaurant before leading her past security. With a hand on her elbow, Ben guided her towards the last elevator, one that required a special key and led them straight up to his penthouse apartment. 

The party now seemed like a lifetime ago, her earlier humiliation a distant memory as Rey found herself seated across from her one true love. She tried to focus on her delicious burger but her eyes kept darting shyly to the large man in front of her. Was this a dream? And if it was, she never wanted to wake up.

“How’s your burger?” Ben asked. She was still working on her one single cheeseburger while he had devoured two doubles in quick succession. As he rarely indulged in fatty foods, his normal cuisine consisting of healthy greens, grains and lean protein, he had allowed himself the rare treat. He was sipping his black-and-white milkshake, his eyes unreadable as they focused on her.

“Good,” Rey nodded, lowering her eyes as she forced herself to take small, lady-like bites. 

“There’s no need to be modest on my account, Rey. I’ve seen you eat an entire cheesecake, remember?”

Rey flushed, smiling in spite of her nervousness. It had been barely two months after Rey had joined the company when Rose had persuaded her to consume the sweet concoction. Ben had witnessed the entire thing, both awed and horrified.

“Rose was on a diet and she didn’t want to hurt Hux’s feelings...what else was I supposed to do?” Rey shrugged. She finally finished her burger and was only a little bit sad that it was over.

“You could’ve said no,” Ben carried their trash to the bin before cleaning his greasy hands at the sink. 

“And miss out on cheesecake? No way!” She looked awkwardly around the room then, taking in the open concept floor plan and the wall of windows that overlooked Naberrie Park. Walking towards the floor to ceiling windows, she gasped in delight at the beautiful view of lush green, complete with lake, smack in the middle of the busy metropolitan of Chandrila.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ben whispered, coming to stand beside her as they looked out at the serenely green oasis. 

Rey nodded, tears suddenly springing to her eyes as she realized how perfect this was. This very moment, she was with the man she loved, alone in his apartment and they were enjoying the lovely view. Perfect...except it really wasn’t. It was all just an illusion. She had humiliated herself in front of her colleagues and cried herself silly in front of her boss. She was such a hopeless fool. Hopelessly in love with this person who was well beyond her reach. She had nothing to offer Ben Solo. Rey Kanata was a nobody, an orphan raised by an eccentric grandmother and possessing very little skills. 

“Ah, don’t, Rey...don’t!” Ben gathered her against him then, making her aware of the tears that ran freely down her cheeks. “Please, don’t cry, sweetheart,”

Rey’s shoulders shook, her sobs becoming louder. “Don’t call me that, please...it’s only making it worse.”

“What is, sweetheart?” Ben was rubbing circles on her back.

“When you call me sweetheart - we - you - I’m not your sweetheart!” She hiccupped even as she burrowed her face deeper into his chest. Her fingers clenched the front of his dress shirt.

“Rey...sweetheart, look at me, please,”

Rey shook her head. “You’re just being nice by calling me that. Because you’re my boss…”

Ben laughed roughly, lifting her chin gently so she could meet his hot gaze. “Rey, _because_ I am your boss I should not be calling you sweetheart. But I can’t help it...not anymore…”

Rey’s eyes widened, her cheeks reddening as those honey-brown eyes of his bore into her.

“What? Mr. Solo…”

“Ben, sweetheart...call me Ben,” His hand moved from her chin to cup her cheek.

“Ben…” She breathed, nuzzling her face against his warm palm.

“Rey…” He wiped the remnants of her tears away, his fingers soft and light. “Tell me...what is it you feel for me?” 

“I love you, Ben,” Rey said easily, confidently. Even if he rejected her, she could not stop her confession. She'd already humiliated herself tonight...what was one more? Besides, she had nothing to lose...as she was all too aware that he did not return her feelings.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating is reached in this chapter. This is only my second attempt at smut...please enjoy. Comments and kudos are much appreciated! Thanks!

**Chapter Three**

Ben let out the breath he’d been holding. His smile was slow, his teeth slightly crooked but adorably hot as was the grooves that appeared in cheeks. With one hand on her face and the other sliding up to the nape of her neck, he bent his head closer to hers. Stopping until they were mere centimeters apart, his eyes never breaking contact with hers, he finally answered. “And I love you, Rey.”

Rey gasped, her heart expanding to its maximum fullness as she let his words sink in. It was also there in his eyes, warm and inviting, full of love and desire...for her.

The first meeting of their lips made her heart stand still only for it to beat double time as he gently kissed her. Tender, tentative kisses that soon left her wanting more. Sighing, she stood up on her tip-toes, her arms still around his hard middle. She parted her lips, heard his growl of approval just before he adjusted the angle of his head. His tongue dueled with hers, the warm male scent of his body in her nostrils and filling her lungs. And his taste - oh, god! He tasted like the milkshake he’d just drank but so much more! Rey wanted to devour him.

“Ben…”

His hands, tangled in her hair, wouldn’t let her evade his sensual assault. He kissed her with his whole body, rubbing his chest against her nipples, leaving them hard and aching. She moaned, shuddering as she sucked his tongue deeper into her mouth. Unconsciously, she twisted her hips closer to him and he answered in kind, moving the bulge of his erection against her stomach in a slow, subtle rhythm. 

“Tell me you want this, Rey?” He whispered into her mouth.

She groaned, hungrily pulling him back for a searingly hot, open-mouthed kiss.

Ben smiled at her aggression, knowing that he had unleashed the tigress - she was no longer the shy little kitten. His hands went to the back of her dress where her zipper was hidden. “May I, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” 

He sipped the husky sound from her lips even as he unzipped her. His long, languorous kisses made her feel exquisitely feminine, earthy and voluptuously sensual.

“I want you so much, Rey.”

Shaken by the intensity of need in his voice, she leaned back to look into his face and was surprised when he instantly let her go. She put a hand to her breast and took an uncertain step back, her face flushed with a mingling of embarrassment and desire as she realized he was giving her the freedom to choose.

“We don’t have to do anything tonight, Rey. Just know that I love you,”

Rey shivered at his words. He was panting, the expression in his eyes hot and wild...and loving. With her eyes on his, she leaned down to remove her heels before nodding slowly.

Ben’s body surged into full arousal as he recognized the implicit surrender in her action. The shy fascination with which her eyes furtively caressed him was a fierce turn-on. It made him want to tear off her clothes and thrust inside her without preliminaries, staking his claim and slaking his raw lust before she could change her mind. But even stronger was his greedy desire to draw out the process of sensuous discovery as long as possible, to spend a long time exploring, arousing, tasting, teasing...making her moan and thrash with orgasmic pleasure before he finally granted them both release. 

“I want you, Ben. Tonight, now, always,”

“You want me,” He said in a thick voice, simultaneously both rough and smooth. He moved to dim the lights before returning back to her position in front of the windows. Stripping out of his shirt before discarding his belt and kicking off his shoes, his gaze never once wavered from hers. He stepped up behind her, sliding his palms from her shoulders down over her breasts to her waist. 

“Are you ready, sweetheart?”

In the window, Rey could see his reflection, his naked chest rising behind her shoulder, his honey-brown eyes glinting passionately, his hands graceful as they slowly pushed the rest of her dress down, revealing her soft golden skin inch by inch. The upper curves of her small yet perfectly formed breasts were clad in hot-pink silk, the delicate fabric stretching provocatively between the two concealed peaks and then falling away to follow the indentation of her waist and smooth over her rounded hips to flirt around the V of her legs. 

She found herself trembling as he looked down over her shoulder at what he had uncovered. She heard him suck in his breath at the sight of her firm creamy breasts straining against the watery silk.

“Sexy,” He growled, fingering the pure silk hem where it lay underneath her breasts, but otherwise touching her with only his eyes as he pushed the dress from her thighs and let it fall in a hush to the floor, leaving her exposed to his reflected view. Very exposed. She was suddenly conscious of her small breasts and broad hips. Her breath quickened.

“Perfect, Rey, you’re…perfect.” He purred, and shivers ran up and down her spine as she watched his hands come around her waist to settle on her taut belly and begin to stroke the scrap of silk that covered her pussy.

He nibbled at her shoulder. He ran his fingers down the lace edging that splayed over her hip, down between her legs to a place that made her gasp. His fingers fluttered with unbelievable delicacy against her lace-covered pussy while his other hand moved up from her waist to languorously fondle her breasts, sliding beneath the silk to find her soft, erect nipples.

“Do you like watching what I’m doing to you, sweetheart?”

She did. It was wilder even than her reckless imagination. Fierce thrills cascaded over her in waves as she reveled in the wanton sight of the big, half-naked man standing behind her, his hands moving on her, pleasuring her, seducing her with his skill.

He pulled aside her thong and bit her ear as his fingertips teased inside her slippery heat and he whispered. “Would you like me to take you here, like this, from behind, so that you can see it happen to you?”

Her mind exploded in a riot of sensation which had her crying out and jerking so violently that she twisted out of his grasp, surprising them both.

The fantasy interrupted, Rey floundered for a few breathless seconds. After what Ben had just been doing to her she felt unbelievably, stupidly shy. She had been wildly aroused, but what about him? Wasn’t she supposed to be touching him, too? What limited experience she had came from the rare R-rated sex scenes and odd gossip from her girlfriends. Her eccentric grandmother had been very conservative, thus Rey’s upbringing had been very much sheltered. As a result, even in adulthood, Rey did not own a vibrator or watch porn.

She glanced at Ben to find him locked in his own world, his head tipped back and his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling as if he’d been running, his arms hanging tense at his sides, the curled fingers of one hand glistening with a faint slick of moisture that it made her blush to see it. 

His thick lashes lowered and she realized he was hungrily watching her pert ass left bare by her thong. Feeling her confidence return in a ripple of wicked delight, she leaned forward slightly, her face still turned mischievously towards him to assess his reaction.

“Tease,” He said, studying the charmingly provocative pose with male approval. His smile sizzled through her senses as he moved closer and cupped her firm ass. “Do you want me to lose control?” He murmured as he handled the peachy softness, tugging at the thong to create an intimate friction between her legs.

Her fingers flattened against the window as she unconsciously arched her back and bowed her head. “Yes, I think I do.” She shuddered. 

“Then come to bed,” He purred into the nape of her neck. “You’re cold.”

She felt she would never be cold again. “No, I’m not…”

She gasped as his hands slid up to cup her breasts, rounding them, his thumbs rubbing at her stiffened nipples.

“Then I guess you must be turned on.”

He bent his head and bit the tender curve of her neck, between nape and shoulder, his teeth grating gently against her flesh while his hands moved lazily on her breasts, his hips pushing rhythmically against the crease of her bottom, letting her feel the impressive length of his swollen shaft.

He spun her around and kissed her, hard and fast, unhooking the front clasp of her bra expertly before sliding it off to reveal her naked breasts. He shaped the creamy curves and stroked the darkened tips, rolling them gently between his fingertips before bending to take them into his mouth, suckling each one in turn until they were unbearably sensitive. His hand swept under her bottom and he lifted her easily in his arms, his mouth buried in hers as he carried her down a hallway, inside his bedroom and over to the big bed. Then he was pushing her down into the feathery depths. He discarded her now-drenched thong before his hands kneaded her flat belly and breasts, his mouth sliding down until he reached her pussy. Ignoring her protesting hands, his tongue lapped at her clit, taking turns biting and licking while she moaned his name. He pushed a thick finger inside her, his mouth still working at her clit until she was racked with helpless convulsions.

Only then did he kick off his pants and boxers, drawing her hands down to his hugely jutting cock, groaning thickly in ecstasy as he showed her how he liked to be touched and found her inventive enthusiasm more than he could handle and stay in control.

To Rey it was a dazzling revelation, beyond anything she had imagined, to have this sleek, powerful, sexy, sophisticated lover shuddering in her arms, lavishing her with his sensual praise, begging for her touch and responding to the lightest stroke of her mouth with savage abandon.

Finally he rolled over onto his back, his sweat-slicked muscles bulging as he lifted her to straddle his hips, his dark eyes smoldering at her strangled cry of surprise.

“Yes...like this,” He said, his hands tightening on her hips as he teased himself against her satiny moistness. “This way you can control how much of me you take inside you.” He gritted his teeth, finally remembering to ask. “Is this safe?”

“Yes, of course,” She was clean as a whistle as she was still a virgin...though not for much longer. “Ben, I’ve never...that is...this is my first...you’re my first…”

“What?” Ben gasped, trying to comprehend what she was saying through his haze of want and desire. But then, she was grinding down on him and he shuddered, the tip of his broad dick slipping inside her. Her fingers dug into his wide chest, her hair tumbling over her feverish face as she leaned eagerly over him, her breasts swaying towards his mouth. She wanted him and she wanted him now! Despite her untried body, her earlier orgasm had left her wet enough that she was able to take him all the way to the hilt. There was only a slight burning and discomfort but she reveled in the thickness of him.

His eyes darkened as he lifted her, then eased her gently down, stretching her, sheathing himself tightly within her clinging warmth. “I’ll take good care of you, sweetheart, I promise,” He told her. He held her hips, holding her still before catching her mouth in a tender kiss. They kissed for long minutes, slowly, thoroughly.

“Please, Ben...please...I need…” Rey panted, pressing her forehead against his. She wanted to roll her hips but his hands held her immobile.

Ben nodded before gently rolling them until he was on top. He left a trail of kisses from her forehead to her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her lips again. “Look at me, sweetheart,” He demanded, lifting his head so that he could stare into her passion-filled eyes.

Rey was lost in his smoldering dark gaze, noting the redness of his cheeks and his shallow breathing. She had done this to him.

“I love you, Rey,” He rasped.

“I love you, Ben,” Rey entwined her arms around his neck.

Ben released her hips, his hands moving to pull her legs higher around his waist. He dragged his cock all the way out before plunging full-length into her again, burying himself into her welcoming softness. Rey moaned at the wonderful sensation. He held her gaze even as he steadily increased the tempo of his driving thrusts, pushing her closer and closer to her orgasm, until Rey’s love and passion finally exploded into shuddering ecstasy. Ben tightened his arms around her and one final thrust, he joined her in the wild sweet oblivion with a harsh growl that was her name.

  
  


“When, Ben?” It was well past midnight now but despite their exhaustive and thrilling lovemaking, neither felt the need for sleep. Not when their naked limbs were entwined under Ben’s luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets. Rey’s head was resting on his warm chest, her eyes on the glittery pink diamond on the ring finger of her left hand. He had surprised her after her return from the bathroom, slipping the platinum engagement ring on her finger. _Marry me_ , he had asked softly. 

“I bought it a week after I took you to the hospital,” Ben laughed, his hand lazily caressing the line of her spine. “I fought it...I really did, Rey. But finding you hurt, seeing your face that day - I fell for you hard and fast and didn’t even know it!”

Rey grinned, her fingers drawing small circles around his nipple. “I didn’t even think you noticed me…”

“Not notice you? Rey, I don’t know if you are aware but I am a _very_ busy man...much too busy to take a random employee to the ER for stitches.” 

“I just thought you were just a kind employer, devoted to the safety of his people,” Rey said softly.

Ben rolled his eyes at her naivete, kissing the top of her head. “I have a reputation for being tough as nails...unless one pretty, vivacious brunette with a love for all things pink is involved, of course!”

“Pink, really?” Rey rubbed against him gleefully.

“Sweetheart, you wear pink every day...whether it’s an entire outfit or just an article of clothing or an accessory...or changing the color of a very important graph...I can safely assume your favorite color is pink.”

“Ha! You know me too well, Ben,” 

Ben smiled. “Let’s just say when I made it mandatory for ring sizes to be included in all personnel files, my parents and uncle took me aside to ask me I’d found the _one_ ,”

“You’re kidding?” Rey gasped, slightly horrified.

“Nope. I even asked Mom for help picking out the ring…” Ben groaned, remembering the awkward experience.

“Why were you fighting it, Ben? Your feelings for me?”

“I was scared, I guess...and maybe a little worried because I’m your boss. I didn’t want you being gossiped about at the office.” He sighed, weaving his fingers with hers and rubbing the three carat solitaire absently with his thumb. “Still didn’t stop me from buying this for you though, hoping one day you’d reciprocate my feelings,”

Rey reacted suddenly, lifting her head from his chest to peer down at him with shocked eyes. “You didn’t know that I had the biggest crush on you? My friends teased me endlessly...I was so transparent.”

“I didn’t realize...not until tonight, anyway,”

“I love you, Ben Solo. I fell for you the moment you fainted dead away in the hospital my first day,” Rey kissed him soundly at his blush. “And I only fell harder for you with each passing day. Your voice, your rare smiles, your concern for others, your empathy, your sharp wit, your intelligence, your big heart…” Rey punctuated each quality with a soft kiss, her small hands holding his face imprisoned to her gentle onslaught.

“I love your laugh, your adorable clumsiness, your warmth, your red nose when you cry, your enormous appetite, your dimples, your bright smile…” Ben’s hands shook as he cupped her face between his palms, his fingers trembling over her smooth features. Love glowed in his eyes, a love so quietly intense that Rey felt both humbled and profoundly proud. “Rey,” He whispered, his deep voice raw. “I love you...so much,”

They had gotten engaged that Friday. Rey moved in the following Monday after handing in her two weeks’ notice. She would take up teaching again but at a local college with the support of her devoted fiance. On her very last day at Skywalker-Solo Systems, which also happened to be St. Valentine’s Day, she received a gorgeous bouquet of red and pink roses in a square glass vase delivered to her desk by none other than Ben Solo. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart,” Ben whispered for her ears only. He paid no attention to the curious looks from his employees.

Rey smiled, shivering slightly in wonder at the pure, tender love shining in his eyes. Love for her and for her alone. Her words made his throat tighten. “No,” She said softly, her fingers cupping his jaw. “Valentine’s came two weeks ago.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived happily ever after...always...and forever. As they should! #SaveBenSolo


End file.
